Saturday, January 19, 2013

From ‘Fear. Essential Wisdom for getting through the storm’ by Thich Nhat Hanh

If we don’t acknowledge and look deeply at our own fears, we
can draw dangers and accidents to us…….

The first part of looking at our fear is just inviting it
into our awareness without judgement. We just acknowledge gently that it is there.
This brings a lot of relief already. Then, once our fear has calmed down, we
can embrace it tenderly and look deeply into its roots, its sources.

If I am ever in an airplane and the pilot announces that the
plane is about to crash, I will practice mindful breathing. If you receive bad
news, I hope you will do the same.

One of the first things we can do to soothe our fear is to
talk to it. You can sit down with that fearful child inside and be gentle with
him or her. …. That is why its very important to take the time to go back, to
recognize the presence of the wounded child in us, to talk to him and try to
help him heal……. Put down two cushions. First sit on one cushion and pretend
you are the helpless, vulnerable child. You express yourself …..Allow the
helpless child enough time to express herself fully. This is very important…..

After she has finished, move to the other cushion to play
the role of the adult self.

Many of us often find ourselves thinking of things that stir
up feelings of fear and sorrow ….. But if we revisit these memories without
mindfulness or awareness, every time we watch those images we suffer again.

When we recognize that we have a habit of replaying old
events and reacting to new events as if they were the old ones, we can begin to
notice when that habit energy comes up. We can then gently remind ourselves
that we have another choice. ….. If you are truly present and know how to take
care of the present moment as best as you can, you are doing your best for the
future already.

When you are a small boy or girl, you are very fragile, very
vulnerable. Just a stern look from your father can create a little wound in
your heart…. Do you think that little child is no longer there? The little boy
or girl in you is still alive, and maybe still deeply wounded. … So when you
breathe in and see yourself as a small child who is fragile like that,
compassion is born in your heart. And when you breathe out, you smile to him or
her, and that is already a smile of understanding, of compassion.

Zen master Linji said, “The miracle is not to walk on water
or fire. The miracle is to walk on the earth.”

When animals in the forest get wounded, they find a place to
lie down, and they rest completely for many days. They don’t think about food
or anything else. They just rest, and they are able to heal themselves quite
naturally.

The French poet Rene Char said, “If you can dwell in one
moment, you will discover eternity.”